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kimiki
Joined: 19 Dec 2008
Location: south korea
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 Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 7:29 pm Post subject: addresses in korea |
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why don't the kids here know their own addresses? i remember learning mine pretty much as soon as i could tie my shoelaces... we did a postcard activity the other day and no one knew their own addresses nor those of their friends. is it not considered important for some reason, or do they learn it later on? or just have a different way of conceptualizing the location of their residences?
perhaps this has been discussed before, if so, apologies. anyway i'd appreciate input from those in the know. |
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seoulsucker
Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Location: The Land of the Hesitant Cutoff
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| Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 8:36 pm Post subject: Re: addresses in korea |
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| kimiki wrote: |
| or just have a different way of conceptualizing the location of their residences? |
THIS.
What age are you talking about here?
In general, I think addresses here simply aren't used the way you might be used to. Also, I'd guess that 90% of kids attend schools/academies within shouting distance of their apartments and are privately bussed anywhere else.
If they were forced to, they could probably write it all down in Korean...city, district, neighborhood, apartment complex, building, unit number. However it's not drilled into them as a safety issue like it was for me growing up. |
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le-paul
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Location: dans la chambre
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| Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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and addresses dont work the same way they do outside of korea.
It works on a system of numbers quite often that only delivery people and the postman knows. |
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seoulsucker
Joined: 05 Mar 2006
Location: The Land of the Hesitant Cutoff
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DeMayonnaise
Joined: 02 Nov 2008
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| Posted: Mon Oct 18, 2010 10:18 pm Post subject: |
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| le-paul wrote: |
and addresses dont work the same way they do outside of korea.
It works on a system of numbers quite often that only delivery people and the postman knows. |
I've heard that the numbers go by the order in which the building was made. The oldest building in a dong is number 1, and the newest the highest number they're up to. So number 1 could be next to number 152 which could be next to number 89. I still can't wrap my head around the rationale behind it, but whatever works... Hence why places always give directions. A building number doesn't mean much...
(Edit: Or just watch the video...) |
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le-paul
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Location: dans la chambre
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| Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 1:21 am Post subject: |
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its not too compicated as far as I know. Its just a number within a number within a number (eg -area, street/building, appartment). You can see this on your letters. The rest of the information is city, gu/dong.
what I dont understand is why no-one seems to understand this concept here except delivery boys? Its crazy - if at home a taxi driver didnt know his way around - hed get a slap if he was lucky, here its a pre-requisite...
(by the way, if you go to a delivery shop, there will be a map on the wall - have a look at that) |
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Lee Myung Bak
Joined: 25 Jun 2010
Location: Seoul
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| Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 6:19 am Post subject: |
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Addresses here are less important, its only needed for post. Kids just need to know they live next to the Emart in a certain dong. Directions are always given by landmarks. Some streets have no names, and are listed as the direction they are heading. Taxi drivers and delivery men don't learn street names like other countries, but rather stations, buildings, Gu's and dongs.
I really wish I could say 450 Central Ave and be done with an order or a taxi fare home, but its just not set up that way unfortunately. |
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ajuma
Joined: 18 Feb 2003
Location: Anywere but Seoul!!
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| Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 6:31 am Post subject: |
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Learning "turn left", "turn right" and "go straight" is almost mandatory for people living in Korea. You usually can get the taxi driver to get you to the nearest landmark/big store (IF YOU'RE LUCKY!), but if you've got a bunch of stuff you've bought from EMart, you'd better learn them quick! 
Worst taxi experience: In Ulsan. Told the taxi driver the name of a big store fairly close to downtown. He asked 3 different cars how to get there!! I finally had to tell him with my FAR less than perfect Korean!!!
Ooops!! Kind of hijacked the thread, huh? |
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le-paul
Joined: 07 Apr 2009
Location: dans la chambre
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| Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 4:39 pm Post subject: |
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i wouldnt worry, thread always unravels at some point (hehe)  |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 5:18 pm Post subject: |
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| What drives me nuts is that there are actually TWO address systems here. There is the one that all the delivery people know and are printed on all the maps, but there is another one that is much like the Western system. If you haven't noticed, most streets here have names now, and most buildings are getting address placards with the street names on them. It bugs me because my past apartments, the address on the building was unacceptable to the delivery people and I had to check the neighbors mail for our "real" address. What a pain. |
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nathanrutledge
Joined: 01 May 2008
Location: Marakesh
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| Posted: Mon Nov 15, 2010 6:08 am Post subject: |
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| Just a note - I got a memo in my mailbox from City Hall today. The new address system is going into effect. Check out www.juso.go.kr for more information! |
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sojukettle
Joined: 23 Aug 2005
Location: Not there, HERE!
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